Petersen Motorsports/White Lightning Racing will start second in tomorrow’s Lone Star Grand Prix of Houston. Dirk Müller (a native of Germany, living in Monaco) qualified the No. 31 MMPIE/PAWS/Petersen Holdings/Michelin Ferrari F430 GT with a time of one minute, 9.810 seconds around the 1.7-mile, 10-turn JAGFlo Speedway at Reliant Park here in Houston. The time was a narrow 0.391 seconds behind the pole winning Ferrari. Jarek Janis (Olomouc, Czech Republic) will be debuting with the Michael Petersen (Las Vegas, Nev. ) owned team this weekend.
Janis acquainted himself well with the Dale White (Bozeman, MT) managed Ferrari turning a quick time of 1:11.733 in a limited amount of laps in only his second American Le Mans Series start, his first in a Ferrari. Janis is replacing fellow countryman Tomas Enge (Czech Republic now living in Monaco). This is the third front-row starting spot in four races this season for the team.
Enge, who was seriously injured in an accident at St. Petersburg, Fla. on March 31, surprised the Nevada- based team on Thursday evening by arriving at the track unannounced. Enge, who had surgery to repair his shattered left elbow on April 6 in Indianapolis, received clearance this week from his doctor’s to travel. Upon arriving he exchanged jokes and thanks with the team and then slid behind the wheel of the newly built Ferrari that Janis and Müller will race in tomorrow’s two hour and 45-minute event.
Enge, who just had the sutures removed from the elbow that has two plates holding the healing pieces together, is scheduled to return to racing for the June 16-17 24 Hours of Le Mans. He currently holds the all-time record for most consecutive pole positions earned at Le Mans with five and will race with the Aston Martin factory team there. He will return to Petersen Motorsports/White Lightning Racing no later than the July 7 event at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut.
| 
|